Chapter 22

CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

Leaving early was almost unheard of for Ozen, but he had an appointment to keep. It was Avery’s last day as his assistant, and he hated the thought of leaving him to head out alone on his last day, but it couldn’t be helped. Ozen needed this appointment. There were too many questions he needed answered. Too many unknowns. He didn’t often seek a physician, and when he did, it was always for something important.

His desk phone buzzed as he was pulling on his jacket, a reminder from Avery that he had an appointment. Since he was leaving anyway, he didn’t answer, instead heading out of his office to where Avery sat waiting. He smiled brightly, still ever professional, despite the last two weeks as Ozen’s feeder. By now, the red flags would usually make themselves known with Ozen’s feeders. Avery had none. Not even Ozen’s reactions to him were off-putting. They were more of a curiosity. Ozen was grateful that it was Avery that showed up in his office a month ago.

“Have a nice evening, Mr. Hawksley. Did you need anything else from me before I leave?”

“No, nothing important. You’ve set up for Collette’s return, correct?”

He bobbed his head in acknowledgement. “Yes, sir. Everything is ready and I’ll be reporting to the research floor Monday morning to temp for their secretary who’s out sick. Did we want to keep our sessions after lunch? I’m not sure how different my schedule will be downstairs.”

“It shouldn’t affect you. Like I said, feeders get certain accommodations to make their sessions a priority. If you feel another time would be easier on you, just let me know. You’ve been an excellent assistant. I’m sure you can make it work.”

Avery’s smile only brightened further with the compliment. A feeling, almost like dread, hit Ozen in the gut. He wasn’t looking forward to not seeing Avery every morning. He almost wished he could bring Avery with him to his appointment to drag out their time together. After all, it was Avery who was healing the effects of his starvation.

Ozen shook off the stray through and sighed. “I appreciate your help over the last month, Avery. And no matter your position in the company, if you need anything, please come to me. Let me know if after lunch still works for you on Monday. I’ll see you later.”

Ozen wasn’t going to delude himself that he could go an entire weekend without seeing Avery. He would try, for Avery’s sake and for his own need to keep things professional, but he wouldn’t let himself get upset if he needed to see his feeder again at least once this weekend.

“Thank you, Mr. Hawksley. I’ll wrap things up here. A few of the other secretaries are taking me out for dinner tonight, so if you need anything, I’ll have my phone on me.”

Always so diligent. Ozen dipped his chin to acknowledge him and left, stopping himself from looking over his shoulder to see if Avery watched him go.

There had to be some reason why he was so attached to the human. He was sure the starvation had something to do with it. Or maybe Avery’s inexperience. He needed to prioritize doing research if Doctor Chapman didn’t have any answers for him.

Supernatural physicians were druids more often than not. Their connections with earth magic gave them more control over the body’s natural processes. They were mostly human, aside from their magic. Only the elders looked different, growing horns like antlers made of wood once they reached a certain age.

Doctor Chapman was an elder, his horns massive and a little intimidating. One quick turn and he could take an eye out with those things. He seemed aware of them, though, and he was careful with them as he examined Ozen with a scrutinizing eye.

“You said you were starved. For how long?”

“Two weeks,” Ozen reported. “I felt quite close to going feral before my assistant stepped in to help.”

The doctor hummed, his head tipped and his eyes narrowed. He was looking at Ozen, but it didn’t look like he was seeing him, more like seeing through him. It was always disconcerting to Ozen when people did that.

“From what I can tell, the effects of starvation were not long term. I’m seeing no residual effects plaguing you now.”

Ozen’s brows furrowed. “Then why do I still require frequent feedings? I’ve tried to go without. I prefer sticking to the work week to keep things professional, but I still needed to see my feeder on the weekend.”

Doctor Chapman pursed his lips thoughtfully. “It could be a mental block. Facing starvation and nearly going feral would make anyone overcautious. Health wise, you’re doing quite well. Your magic feels strong to me, and your body is well fed. Have you experienced any other symptoms other than frequent hunger? Headaches? Brittle nails? That sort of thing?”

Ozen shook his head. “No. Nothing like that. The only other unusual experience I have is in regards to my feeder’s potency.”

“What about it?” Doctor Chapman asked curiously.

“My newest feeder has been significantly more potent than the others. I don’t need to go nearly as far to feel well fed. At first, I believed it had something to do with his inexperience, that perhaps going so long without sex made his desire more robust. But while I don’t remember every feeder I’ve ever had, I doubt I went this long without ever feeding from a virgin before. It doesn’t make any sense.”

The doctor bobbed his head in agreement, his expression thoughtful. “That is strange. I’ve never heard of one feeder being more potent than others. I’m seeing no signs of poisoning or magic tampering, so I doubt it's a bad thing. Even with their potency, you still need frequent feeding?”

“Not at first. The first time I fed from him, I went three days without needing to feed again. And even while I was starved, I still didn’t require full penetration to bring myself back from the brink. Several weeks later, and we still haven’t gone that far yet. But going more than twenty-four hours feels… impossible.”

Chapman’s eyebrows shot up significantly. “Really? That’s interesting. I’ll admit, my incubus background is lacking. You lot tend to avoid physicians like the plague. I’ll have to do some research on why you’re reacting like that. All I can say for now is health wise, you’re fine. There are no lingering effects of the starvation. Your frequent feedings are most likely an emotional response to the events.”

That wasn’t what Ozen wanted to hear. He wanted an answer. Maybe he should have brought Avery along and had the doctor look at him as well. Even now, despite having fed from Avery only a few hours before, Ozen felt a distinct need to be close to him. It was inexplicable and a little irritating. He did not get attached to his feeders. If the relationship was a little less perfect, Ozen might be looking for a replacement for Avery. He didn’t like feeling this needy.

On his way out, Doctor Chapman’s voice made him pause. “Just a moment. You never said what species your feeder is. I’m curious if that could be related.”

“He’s human,” Ozen replied.

“Oh. So not related then. Humans don’t have magic to contend with. Alright, I’ll do some digging, see if there are any articles about incubi and potent feeders. I’m sure there’s an answer out there somewhere.”

“Thank you, Doctor.”

Ozen left the doctor’s office more frustrated than when he arrived. He’d been hoping at least part of his issue was him still healing from two weeks of starvation. But apparently, he was well. His continued need to feed frequently had nothing to do with it, which meant it had something to do with Avery. Ozen was quite sure that there wasn’t magic involved. He checked before each session. But the lack of explanations was irritating.

There was only one other person he knew he could call to ask these questions. But if Ozen avoided physicians like the plague, his avoidance of this particular person was even more extensive. He refused to pick up the phone unless it was life or death.

Instead, Ozen decided to push himself to go longer without feeding. Doctor Chapman said it was a mental block after the trauma of starvation. Avery was still as potent as ever, and Ozen knew he was well at hand for now. He would strive to return to his work day feeding schedule. That way, he would avoid mishaps like sleeping over at Avery’s house again.

The reminder of his mistake made him grimace, but it also reminded him of another issue. Avery lived in a shoe box. It took considerable work not to let his displeasure show on his face when he visited Avery the weekend prior. There wasn’t even a proper kitchen, and everything was crammed into one room. Avery made good money as a feeder, plus the money he made as a temp. He didn’t need to live in such squalor, and the idea of leaving him in that place was deplorable to Ozen.

Normally, he would have Collette deal with issues like these. She was an excellent assistant and would have several options for new housing for Avery in a matter of hours, but she wouldn’t be returning to work until Monday. Checking his watch, he realized that Avery had probably gone home for the night, so that option was out. Avery was no longer his assistant, and he told Ozen about his plans for the evening. It would be unfair of Ozen to drag him back to work for something like this.

Instead, he decided to look for a place for Avery himself. He didn’t often take on tasks such as these, but for some reason, the thought of finding a place for Avery pleased him. Avery did so much to take care of him, so it was only right that Ozen did this for him. And that was the only reason for it. It had nothing to do with Ozen’s growing affection for his feeder, or some foolish need to make Avery happy. This was a professional courtesy. His feeder needed to be healthy, including having things like a safe and comfortable place to rest and a kitchen to feed himself. Avery’s building didn't strike Ozen as safe, either. A doorman was necessary to protect his asset.

Maybe if he said it enough, he’d sound more convincing to others, because Ozen refused to admit that he couldn’t even convince himself.